Healing
by lunalongbottom2448
Summary: When Cas gets a cold for the first time, Dean takes it upon himself to nurse his fallen angel through it. (Sequel to Falling)


There wasn't much Cas couldn't handle, Dean knew that. His angel had gone through a lot more than anyone should ever have to, and he'd come out on top every time. He'd even died twice for crying out loud. Dean could always count on Cas to take care of himself and keep himself safe.

But that was when his angel was actually an angel. Ever since Cas had fallen, Dean had been ten times more protective. At first he had tried to let Cas take care of himself like he always had, but that didn't last long at all. He hated seeing Cas so helpless, and he quickly gave up watching on quietly in favor of being openly supportive and helpful.

He felt awkward about it at first. After all, the only person he'd ever been like this for was Sam. But he knew he had done the right thing when he saw Cas's face after he wrapped a bandaid around one of Cas's paper cuts. It was the first time in ages that Dean has seen Cas smile, and knowing he had caused it was the most rewarding feeling in the world.

Cas was slowly but surely adjusting to his humanity with Dean's (and frequently Sam's) help. But that morning, he walked sluggishly into the bunker's kitchen, feet dragging and eyelids heavy, and when he said "good morning," his nose was plugged up.

Dean had been busy flipping eggs on the stove, but when he heard Cas's "goob bording" he spun around to face the other man in surprise. "Cas, you feeling ok?"

"I'm fine, Dean." Cue loud sniff. "My nose just feels strange."

"Oh no, you're sick, aren't you?" Dean hurriedly dumped the eggs onto a plate before rushing across the kitchen to put his hand on Cas's forehead. Cas looked at him quizzically before Dean said, "Wait here," and rushed out the way Cas had just come in.

Moments later he was back with a thermometer. "Okay, sit down." Cas hadn't lost his confused expression, but sat down on one of the wooden chairs at the kitchen table. "Open up," Dean instructed.

Cas's eyes widened. "Dean, what are you doing?"

"Seeing if you have a temperature, now open up."

Cas slowly opened his mouth and Dean stuck the thermometer under his tongue. Cas caught on and closed his mouth again, staring up at Dean with a dubious look that clearly said, "You're crazy but I trust you anyway."

Soon the thermometer began to beep and Dean pulled it back out of Cas's mouth. He sighed in relief when he saw that Cas's temperature was normal. "Just a cold then. But you're gonna have to take it easy today. No running around or hunting or anything. And I'll stay with you and make sure you get better."

Cas frowned at that. "But Dean, what about the factory we looked at yesterday? We can't just ignore that much spirit activity."

"Don't worry about it, Cas. Sam can handle it, we've taken care of worse." Dean's reassuring tone seemed to placate Cas, and he slumped back in his chair, finally giving into his weakened state.

Dean quickly explained the situation to Sam, and he only responded with an eye roll when Sam gave him a knowing smirk and a smug, "Okay," in answer to his request.

Sam left about ten minutes later, and Dean quickly headed back to the kitchen where Cas was still slouched in his chair with a grumpy expression on his face. If it hadn't been so strange to see Cas like this, Dean would have thought it was adorable. Not that he would ever admit that out loud in a million years.

Dean immediately strode over to Cas, put his hands under the other mans arms, and hauled him to his feet. Cas let out a small grunt of protest but he obediently stayed standing.

"Come on dude, you need to lie down."

"Dean, I'm fine. You don't need to go to all this trouble." The loud sneeze that exploded out of him after this did nothing to prove his point.

"Course I do, now come on." Before Cas could protest anymore, Dean wrapped an arm around his shoulders and gently steered him out of the kitchen.

The one thing their awesome bunker was seriously lacking in was comfortable places to lie down, so Dean ended up taking Cas back to his room. Even though Cas was still grumbling a bit, it was clear from his newly relaxed expression that he felt a lot better when he crawled back under the covers.

"Okay, now don't move. I'm gonna go get you something to eat."

Dean left Cas there with a surprised look on his face before heading back to the kitchen. It had been awhile since he'd had to nurse anyone through a cold, not since Sam was a kid, and he had never been much of an expert on it. But one thing he knew Cas needed was chicken noodle soup.

Even though he had teased him about it at the time, he was glad that Sam had picked some up on one of their grocery store runs. He never would have thought to buy chicken noodle soup on his own, and it was the best way he knew to help someone through a cold.

Less than ten minutes later he was walking back to Cas's room, carrying a steaming hot bowl of soup and a glass of water on a tray. When he appeared in the doorway, Cas looked up and granted him with a small smile. It was quickly becoming one of Dean's favorite things. He set the tray down over Cas's blanket-covered lap, and said, "Dig in. Best medicine there is to offer."

Cas looked at him curiously for the umpteenth time that morning. "How can soup be a medicine Dean?" Dean just replied by picking up the spoon from the tray and handing it to him. Despite his doubts, Cas scooped up some of the soup, remembering to blow on it now that he had to worry about burning his mouth. A bright, and more than a little proud, smile appeared on Dean's face at the satisfied "mmm" noise that Cas let out as soon as he'd taken his first sip. "Thank you, Dean, this is wonderful."

Dean's smile only grew at that. "No problem, Cas. And drink all of that water, that should help too." Cas just nodded while getting another spoonful of soup, and Dean was happy to see that Cas was starting to doubt his "strange" methods a little less.

While Cas was eating, Dean heard Cas sniffing again and realized he'd forgotten one of the most important things. He walked back out of the room and to one of their storage closets, and when he found what he was looking for, he carried it back to Cas and set it on the nightstand. Cas looked up to see a brand new box of tissues next to him, but he had seen Dean and Sam using them before so he didn't need to ask what they were for. Dean opened the box and handed him a tissue. "Be prepared to use a lot of these."

Cas gratefully took it and blew his nose, looking extremely disgusted by it afterwards. Dean had to chuckle at his scrunched up nose and (once again) grumpy expression.

Cas had finished his soup while Dean was hunting for tissues, and as soon as he was done drinking his water Dean moved his tray from the bed to the desk along the other side of the room. Cas was looking at him when he was done, clearly waiting for the next idea Dean could come up with. His face was full of innocent expectancy, and it gave Dean a strange and slightly overwhelming feeling of warmth and pride that Cas trusted him so much.

"Um, I guess there's only one thing left. I'll be right back." Dean broke the intense eye contact they'd been maintaining to leave again, this time heading to his own room. He grabbed his blanket off his bed and carried it back to Cas, spreading it out over Cas's own blanket. Cas seemed mildly surprised but also very pleased with this new development. He snuggled down under the extra warmth, and Dean had to stop himself from reaching down and kissing him at such an adorable sight. Clearing his throat, Dean said, "Okay, now all you need to do is get some rest. Best way to cure a cold. Umm I guess I'll... leave you to it."

Dean started to leave, but he was stopped by Cas quietly saying his name. He turned around to see a hopeful, and maybe even nervous, look on the other man's face. "I am... still a bit cold."

"Oh sorry, here I'll go get some more blanket–"

"Dean," Cas interrupted, his voice hinting at some exasperation. "I was wondering if you'd... join me?"

Dean's thoughts came to a screeching halt. He stared at Cas in shock for several seconds, but he made up his mind surprisingly quickly and nodded before making his way back to Cas's bed. Cas lifted up the blankets and Dean slid under them next to him. As soon as the blankets were back down, Cas cuddled up to Dean, resting his head on Dean's chest right beneath his chin.

Dean froze for only a second, since he hadn't been expecting such an open show of affection, but he soon reciprocated by wrapping his arms around Cas and pulling him tightly to his side to keep him as warm as possible. He rested his chin on Cas's head, and he could have sworn he heard a small, happy sigh in return.

Neither of them said anything for a few minutes, and Dean had begun to think Cas had fallen asleep. But right as Dean was starting to doze off himself, he heard Cas quietly say, "Thank you, Dean. For everything."

Dean's heart swelled at that. He knew perfectly well that Cas was thanking him for a lot more than just some soup and a blanket, and he let that gratitude sink in and warm him up too. Tightening his arms even more, Dean replied, "Don't mention it, Cas."

~•~•~•~

Sam returned three hours later from his hunt with a few cuts and bruises, but nothing that he had to worry about treating or stitching up. He was surprised by how quiet it seemed, and wondered if Dean had taken Cas somewhere for some reason. He began to search the bunker for them, already preparing his speech to Dean about making Cas exert too much energy when he was sick.

Of course that was before he peered into Cas's room to see the two of them snuggled up in Cas's bed, both asleep. Every bone in Sam's body was telling him to take a picture for blackmail purposes, but he couldn't quite bring himself to do it. The peaceful looks on their faces were a rare sight to see, and he figured that he could let them off the hook this one time. He quietly closed the door behind him and headed towards the kitchen.

He could really go for some soup.


End file.
